Spagnuolo still has some support in St. Louis

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is one of the most likely coaches to get fired on Black Monday, but no one seems to know for sure what will happen in St. Louis.

He’s 10-37 over the last three years, which is hard to overcome. But he hasn’t lost all support.

Bryan Burwell of St. Louis Post-Dispatchmade the case on Friday to keep Spagnuolo. Burwell says Spagnuolo is a true leader and Rams players still believe in Spagnuolo.

Keeping Spagnuolo would be an unpopular choice among fans, where the team may struggle to sell tickets in 2012. Owner Stan Kroenke would probably have to extend Spagnuolo’s contract or he’d be a “lame duck” coach entering next year.

Howard Balzer of espn101.com in St. Louis also makes the case for Spagnuolo, saying Kroenke has a tough decision to make. Balzer expects Spagnuolo’s leadership probably won’t be enough to keep his job in this “short attention span society.”

The NFL has always been a short attention span society. Right or wrong, coaches have never been allowed to survive 2-14 years in their third season. Coaches have never been brought back after going 10-37 in three years.

Keeping Spagnuolo would be a bold statement by Kroenke. The Rams would be saying they truly believe Spagnuolo is a great head coach.

If nothing else, Spagnuolo still has believers in his locker room and in the St. Louis media.

Unfortunately for Spags, that roster is so talent depleted that no one could do much with them. They have been signing guys mid-week that end up starting at corner for them.

Plus, offensively, everyone is learning a new scheme. They should give him one more year with Sammy having the same coordinator and having an actual offseason to implement the offense unlike this year.

If Kroenke keeps him, they’ll just lose again next season, Spagnuolo will have to be fired anyway and they’ll lose even more fan support. I’m tired of hearing about how the players still play for him. He might be a nice guy, but he’s a terrible coach.

I think he’ll be canned, but there is a good case for keeping him. The team improved over the first two years, and then was positively decimated by injuries this year. This is a rare case where I think it’s actually not the coach’s fault. Hopefully he can come be the Eagles’ D-coordinator.

It’s a W league lets not forget about the GM if Spags goes he has to as well. Could see Spags staying but not the GM. Love the idea of Eagles and Giants thinking he would be good fit. No doubt he would elevate the performance of either teams defense. Should and could be a bloody Monday.

Spags had his chance and didn’t get it done, no matter what the reason. Maybe it was just bad karma coming back at him for all of the longtime Rams employees he fired for no good reason when he got the job.

First, almost by default when Burwell states an opinion, I disagree with him – never more than on the subject of retaining Spags.

How does a 10-38 record in 3 full seasons equate to any justifiable case for his return? I don’t care if the players “play hard” for the guy – that is giving credit for the players doing the minimum of their responsibility as professionals. Spags in-game decisions are highly suspect to be kind. His managing of the roster (game day inactives, etc) has been deplorable. The Rams have failed to even be competitive in more games than not during his tenure. His gestapo-style tactics at Rams Park, including the firing of multi-decade employees for no apparent reason, have turned many in the community against Spags, as he is often characterized as a petty man with a Napoleon complex.

If a change at GM and head coach are not made, I do believe it is a sign of Kroenke’s intentions to relocate the team – why else would he be scuttling the immediate future of a team whose fan base has increasingly grown from angry to apathetic.

szwhtsup123 says:Dec 30, 2011 2:36 PM

The GMEN need to have Spags back in NY where he belongs and enjoyed great success. We’re waiting for you Steve…..

What media folks and knee jerk reaction fans don’t understand is the situation Spags went into. Compare the 2008 roster and the 2009 roster. That’s just 1 offseason. The previous FO left only 2 players: Steven Jackson and Ron Bartell while others were overpaid and underperforming vets. They had needs everywhere and no depth. Slowly, but surely there has been some holes filled. But in football, guys get injured and unlike most teams where there is a vet or a developing rookie, the Rams are forced to sign practice squad guys and start them the next week.

Couple that in the 3 years Spags has been, he’s had 1 offseason w/ barely any cap space, 1 w/ an uncapped year reducing the # of FAs, and 1 w/ a lockout. That’s not normal.

Spags is not Linehan and I hope Kroenke takes into account all the circumstances before making a decision.

If you think he needs to stay, you’re either a sadist or not paying attention, which really doesn’t say much for somebody like Burwell who gets paid to write this garbage. The problems go well beyond the record. His in-game management is some of the worst I’ve ever seen, he gives up, he plays not to lose, in 2 out of 3 years under Spagnuolo the team has had 2 of the worst offenses in franchise history, he stubbornly refuses to punt away from the most dangerous kick returners in the game and gets burned repeatedly, and I don’t even need to go any further. The team is just as bad now as it was in his first season, and that’s saying something. Get out and take those other two morons with you (McDaniels and Devaney) before you make things any worse.

tombrookshire says:Dec 30, 2011 3:58 PM

Spags to Philly is the most likely next step after he is fired. He is a good coach, there is just something missing. He lost his QB this season, which was a blow that is hard to recover from, if you don’t have anyone else. With the last couple of finishes however, I am sure they could have done a better job drafting players that could have an immediate impact. Most teams get their QB then start building the defense. Don’t know if that’s how he did it, though. Coaches have a short window to turn things around, but the Rams didn’t seem to be making any progress in three seasons. That’s when an owner pretty much decides he needs to make a change. There are no more five year plans in the NFL.

Y on earth do u fire this guy. He took over a talentless team (cept jax) and a losing culture with a messy owner… He srafted talent, changed the culture and has great draft position to get more talent… He was killed by injuries this year… This game is about the billys and the joes… So let him get a couple!!!

rosloe62 says:Dec 30, 2011 4:50 PM

Burwell are you kidding me? How long have you covered sports! Who are all these supporters?This game is all about winning. If you keeps Spags, you have to keep Billy D. No good GM is going to take over with a coach already in place. Look at the drafting and player signings this group has made. They have the worst record in NFL history for a three year period! Their player evaluation skills prove it. How hard can it be drafting at the very top of the draft practically every year? It’s time to blow this thing up!!!! Bring in J Fish and a GM who knows how to draft and sign worthy free agents.

richm2256 says:Dec 30, 2011 5:55 PM

I can’t BELIEVE the posts that get deleted here these days, and I’m far from the only one noticing……

Saw this post earlier:

fissels says:
I say keep Spags. You’re not gonna find any better out there

To which I replied:
Yeah, ’cause it takes real talent to go 2-14

THAT post got deleted?????? SERIOUSLY?

emperorzero says:Dec 30, 2011 6:22 PM

Spags can coach and he deserves a roster with a semblance of talent. I think it will be a mercy-firing for him. Deveany has to go. Ony matt Millen has been more inept and drafting and even that moron managed to land Megatron.

I have been a long time supporter of Spags this season (by long time supporter, I knew he’s was/is going to get fired since week 5), if not simply for the reason of not getting Sam Bradford his THIRD OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR in THREE SEASONS. He’s getting the Alex Smith treatment and that’s never going to help any young QB in his development. I’ve honestly never liked the drafting of Bradford, but even with me not liking him, I know he’ll never achieve ANYTHING if he goes through the offensive coordinator carousal. Not to mention, as stated above, the team plays hard for Spags my dudes. They need to stop making these signings of older players too. Fred Robbins, Justin Bannan, Nail Diggs, James Hall, c’mon man. There were players out there like Alan Branch who EVERYONE WHO’S EVER SEEN A FOOTBALL GAME knew he was a 4-3 DT not a 3-4 NT, but did the Rams even kick the idea? Probably not. I think I could do a better job as GM.

Honestly, I think the Rams should draft Matt Kalil. There’s plenty of WR talent in the draft and FA. Guys like Kalil don’t come around that often. Hell, I’ve heard that some people in LA think that he might be better than Tony Boselli. If Kalil is THAT good, passing him up is not an option because Jacksonville certainly won’t pass him up if he’s on the board when they pick.